


Vampires in the Black

by smarshtastic



Category: Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Vampires, achluophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-14
Updated: 2011-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-27 08:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/293856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarshtastic/pseuds/smarshtastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim has a nasty run in with a vampire, Leonard pieces him back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vampires in the Black

Space is dark – Jim had always known this, had always taken a sort of comfort in it. He liked how the velvety blackness surrounded him, wrapping him up when he was down, always there for him even when no one else was. He liked the tiny pin points of light, far away stars beckoning him to come explore. The dark of space was a comfort to him, it was home, the best home he ever knew.

Here, though, the black was sinister. Even the light from distant stars was blotted out – it was unsettling the way they faded into the darkness. The light from Jim’s torch didn’t fall very far, and he tripped over his own feet on more than one occasion. The ground was rocky and uneven, and it felt like more rocks would pop out of nowhere to trip him on purpose. He should’ve listened to Spock, Jim thought, and that was generally something he didn’t like to admit to himself. But now Jim was separated from his crew, and he didn’t hear anything encouraging. He didn’t hear anything at all. All of his instruments were dead, and his torch was running down too. His eyes couldn’t adjust to the dark, it was too thick. At least it wasn’t too cold.

“Hello?” Jim called out. His voice didn’t echo – it just stopped, as if his words were lead and fell to the ground in front of him. Unsettling.

Jim punched the button on his communicator again, but the device fizzled and went quiet. “Okay,” Jim said out loud. “Okay – this isn’t something they train you for.” He blinked. “And now I’m talking to myself, great.”

He turned slowly on the spot, trying to get his bearings. It was too dark – so he didn’t see the pale form leap at him until it was too late.

\- - - 

Jim came around some time later. He didn’t know how much later, and it was darker than ever – his torch was gone, or at least out. He was slumped against some sort of wall or rock. He tried to get up but he found he was restrained; chains around his ankles, hands behind his back. It was very uncomfortable.

“Hello?” Jim called, and was again struck by how his voice seemed to be absorbed into the darkness. A hand came out of nowhere and wrapped around his throat. The hand was cold, with thin bony fingers that were pressing painfully against Jim’s windpipe. He gasped for breath.

“What’s your name?” a low voice hissed close to Jim’s ear, the voice’s breath was unusually cool. He couldn’t tell if the creature speaking to him was male or female. Jim gagged a bit, and the creature released its grip.

“J-James T. Kirk,” Jim rasped, throat aching. He knew there would be bruises there later. “Captain of USS Enterprise –if you don’t release me – “

“Starship captain?” the voice hissed, suddenly at Jim’s other side. Jim hadn’t felt it move. “I’ve never had a starship captain before.”

Jim felt his pulse speed up unpleasantly. He didn’t know what that meant, and he didn’t want to find out. The creature laughed softly, but Jim couldn’t tell which direction it came from. He struggled against his chains more, but it was useless – they were too tight.

“What – what are you?” Jim asked, trying to keep the dread out of his voice. He was a Starfleet captain, damn it, and it was indecent to show his fear. He straightened out with some difficulty.

“Hungry.” The hand was on his throat again, fingers stroking under Jim’s chin. The creature pressed two fingers against Jim’s jugular. Jim jerked away sharply.

“Don’t – “

The creature slid its hand around Jim’s throat, its grip light but threatening. Jim could feel the strength behind those thin fingers. “It’ll be worse if you struggle, captain.”

Jim made a choked, distressed noise. “My crew – they’ll find me – if you hurt me…”

The creature laughed again. “Your crew won’t be able to find you here, captain,” it said, feeling the steady throb of Jim’s pulse. The creature sighed, and if Jim had to characterize the sigh it could only be called longing. Jim was increasingly anxious, which only sped up his pulse. “You’re so…” the creature said as it pressed its nose against the thick artery in Jim’s neck. He felt the creature inhale deeply and issue a sigh.

Jim struggled again, trying to pull away from the unknown creature. He didn’t know what this thing was going to do, but he didn’t want to find out, and he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Jim flailed and kicked out his legs as best he could. He slid down the wall as he struggled, the chains biting painfully into the skin of his wrists and ankles.

“Ah,” the creature sounded amused. It grabbed Jim by the neck and hoisted him up, cradling Jim against its hard, cold body. Jim shouted and struggled more, but it was too strong. It wrenched Jim’s head back by the hair, exposing his neck. “Frisky,” the creature crooned, its breath cold on Jim’s skin. He shuddered. The creature leaned down and pressed his mouth against Jim’s neck. He jerked again, but the creature held him tight. Its mouth was cold, so cold –

Jim screamed. He felt the sharp stab of teeth breaking his skin, and the sickening pull of the creature’s lips as they closed around the wound. Jim could feel the blood being sucked from his body, his energy, his fight going with it. He gave another feeble yell, kicking out his feet. The creature adjusted his grip around Jim, pausing mid-drink to speak. “I told you, it’ll be worse if you struggle,” it said. Jim could smell the iron on its breath. He felt dizzy, light headed, like he might throw up. The creature swept a cold hand over Jim’s brow, almost tenderly. Jim made a pained sound, squirming under its touch. He felt a cold tongue lap over the wound on his neck, and then he passed out.

\- - -

Leonard hated the dark, he hated space. He hated how cold it was, and how the stars didn’t sparkle in the sky like they did in Georgia. He hated that the dark made him feel alone and small, and hated feeling like that.

So when they came across the stupid dark little planet, Leonard had refused to go down. He said that you had to be an idiot with a death wish to go down there. Of course, he wasn’t surprised when Jim went, that stupid, stupid man. He was even less surprised that Jim was separated from the landing party, and that he was now waiting for the rescue party to beam back with their deeply stupid captain.

Finally, the rescue party appeared on the transport pad. Leonard and the medical team jumped forward, but there was something strange about the way the rescue party looked. They were supporting a very pale, limp body between the four of them. The rescue party moved off the transporter pad carefully, trying not to jostle the body. With growing horror, Leonard realized the pale, bloodied body they were supporting was Jim. When he reached for Jim’s neck to feel for a pulse, Leonard saw multiple bite marks. There was a pulse, but it was erratic and weak. Leonard yanked his hand away.

“Get him up to medical – stat,” Leonard barked.

They rushed their apparently lifeless captain up to the sickbay. Leonard moved fast, flipping on machines, barking orders, but never moving too far from Jim. He’d seen him hurt before – but this was different. Jim had lost a lot of blood, and the bite marks on his neck were deep, ragged tears, like whatever thing had inflicted them on Jim had been in some horrible sort of frenzy. Leonard had no idea what kind of creature did this to his Jim – their captain. He kept his head down and worked fast, pushing all his emotions deep down, working to save Jim, if it wasn’t already too late.

\- - - 

Leonard was asleep in his chair at the side of Jim’s biobed. He snored lightly, his PADD slipping from his hand. He had spent hours in surgery, delicate, tedious surgery, trying to keep Jim alive. He nearly died under Leonard’s hands twice, but he was stable now. Critical, but stable. A change in the steady beeping of the monitors roused Leonard from his sleep. Leonard jerked upright to see what was happening, checking over Jim carefully.

Jim groaned and Leonard nearly jumped out of his skin. “Hell – damn it, Jim,” Leonard swore, but there was no venom behind it. Jim made a pathetic sound. Leonard checked Jim’s wounds, which, after hours and hours of surgery, looked much better than when he came in. “You lost a lot of blood, Jim. Don’t move too much, you’ll hurt more.”

Jim whimpered in assent. Leonard touched his cheek gently. “You really scared me, Jim,” he said softly. Jim cracked open his eye, glassy with pain.

“Bones,” he croaked. Leonard pet his hand.

“I’m not blaming you or anything, but, really, you shouldn’t talk – “ Leonard said, finishing up his exam. Jim was a fighter, and he’d already come this far – he would pull through. Leonard breathed a sigh of relief, and updated Jim’s chart. He took his seat next to Jim’s bed again, watching Jim’s chest rise and fall with each painful breath.

“Don’t – don’t turn off the lights,” Jim said haltingly, each word laborious. Leonard nodded, but Jim persisted. His face lined with anxiety. “Bones – please – “

“It’s okay, Jim, I won’t turn ‘em off,” Leonard promised. Jim lifted his hand, face creased with the effort. Leonard held Jim’s hand in both of his, running his fingers over Jim’s. He looked less pale now, the blood regenerators were doing their work.

“Don’t leave,” Jim rasped, his voice breaking. “Don’t – don’t leave.”

Leonard sucked in his breath, clutching Jim’s hand. “I won’t. I’m right here, Jim.” He moved his chair closer to the side of Jim’s biobed.  
Jim squeezed his eyes shut again. His breathing evened out and soon Jim was asleep again. Leonard settled back in his chair for the rest of the night, not letting go of Jim’s hand once.


End file.
